By Sam Wells

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9 Feb 2013 22:37:00

Following renewed criticism directed at the Red Devils' shot-stopper, the club captain has come to the youngster's aid by insisting there is yet more to come from his team-mate

Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic is adamant that goalkeeper David De Gea will respond well to the criticism he has faced in recent weeks, believing that "the more games he plays, the better he will become".

The 22-year-old Spaniard has been under increasing pressure in recent months, particularly in the aftermath of the 2-1 win over Southampton, where he was at fault for the Saints' opener.

However, he bounced back from that game with a clean sheet in their 1-0 win over Fulham last Saturday and has conceded only four goals in the last six games going into Sunday's clash with Everton.

"I think it's hard for David because Edwin van der Sar was here for many years and set a high standard, Edwin was an experienced goalkeeper and it's hard to replace him," he told MUTV.

"David is a young goalkeeper. He's maybe made one or two mistakes but that's normal, everyone does that. I think people should have more understanding for that.

"David's had some great games and I'm sure the more games he plays, the better he will become, no doubt."

With the visit of the Toffees imminent and United with the chance to go twelve points clear of Premier League title rivals Manchester City with victory before a trip to face Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16, Vidic was keen to state the importance of focusing on one game at a time.

"I think at this stage of the season we cannot think about what will happen in two or three weeks," he continued.